Can We Be Us Again?
by ThaAnya
Summary: Haley James has been trying to escape from her past and seek a unique identity for herself. Nathan has been trying to let go of his identity and just be himself again. Can they end up getting what they want, remaining true to themselves? Or do they end up in a tangled web of not knowing who they actually are. Completely Naley and majorly AU-ish.
1. Chapter 1

Okay. Judging by the previous story's reception, I don't really think that the story appealed to anyone much. So I've decided to take up a new angle for the story. So let's see how this one goes out. Do review if you have read it. The feedback is really going to help me.

So here it is. Happy Reading.

- ThaAnya.

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**Disclaimer:** I own nothing affiliated to One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

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**CHAPTER 1**

Entering into the elevator, Haley was sure she had never been more scared of anything in her entire life. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but today was definitely one of the most frightening days of her life. The thought of a graduate in music working under a famous celebrity as a maid scared her, and to some extent, embarrassed her as well. The embarrassment wasn't really much considering the fact that not everyone knew about this little arrangement apart from her three best friends.

They say desperate times call for desperate measures. And for Haley James, this statement held absolute truth at that moment. Cutting off all relations from her parents as soon as she was done with college was a pretty brave decision. She wanted to be an independent strong woman, rather than the type who lived off their parents' name and fortune.

What she hadn't fathomed was the possibility of being broke, dumped and homeless – all on the same day. She has been working in a little café as a waitress, but she soon found out that the pay wasn't really helping her meet the rent and electricity bills, and she was left with no other option other than looking for a new job. Her boyfriend, however, wasn't too happy with her decision as it meant more hours away from him. Never the understanding type, Owen soon broke off his relation with Haley and moved on with a budding model. Since Haley had moved in with Owen as soon as she completed college, she was mercilessly left without a place to live.

All in all, her life was _screwed._

The silver lining, though, was that the son of the owner of the café she used to work in previously, had a friend who 'desperately needed help', or so he said. Lucas, the mentioned son, had befriended Haley since the day the met in the café during Haley's second year in college. They had constantly clicked and became good friends over the time, along with Brooke, Lucas's girlfriend. The three of them soon became the best of friends and bonded over everything.

The help, however, turned out to be a 'maid-needed-immediately' type of help. The pay was great, though. Considering the fact that the 'friend' was a popular NBA player, the pay _had _to be good.

Haley James, a born klutz, had no idea which NBA player she was going to work for, but, hey, as long as the pay's good, what's there to worry, right? Wrong. And she was going to find the _wrong_ in it soon. She had readily agreed to it and jumped into Lucas's arms as soon as he asked for her response. Needless to say, Haley was sure a part of her woes would soon come to an end.

Her excitement soon made her forget the name of the very person she was going to be working for. _Who cares? I'll ask Lucas later on. At least I can support myself for the time being._ She thought dismissing any unenthusiastic idea of not working.

As soon as she entered the elevator of the popular Graham Building, she glanced down at the paper in her hand and pressed the button indicating '24' – the floor of the apartment she was soon going to be working in. The elevator was empty except for her and her two suitcases. _Better not to pack much_, she thought. After few seconds, the doors opened into a posh-looking carpeted corridor, with a door on the opposite end.

"So here it is. My home for the next three months," Haley muttered quietly.

Lucas had told her that she would be living in the same apartment while working as no one but the said player lived there.

_No need to be afraid, Haley. It is just a house with a popular NBA basketball player you'll be working under. It is not demeaning at all, and you've definitely had your share to embarrassing moments in your life. Surely, you could add this one to the list, yeah? _She mentally chastised herself for bringing such negative thoughts on her first day itself. _It's going to be fine._

With a deep breath she mustered up the courage to ring the doorbell. From the other side of the door she could hear the sound of a door opening, followed by the shuffling of footsteps slowly advancing towards the door. Just before the door opened, Haley heard a husky groan of a man who was obviously displeased with someone disturbing him.

_You've managed to annoy your new boss on the first day itself. Great job, Haley!_

But as soon as the door opened, any sign of displeasure from either side of the door was soon gone. The only emotion that adorned each side was that of pure shock.

After a few minutes of standing there mutely, the man seemed to recover and shaped his lips to form a smirk.

"Haley," he managed to drawl out.

_This cannot be happening._ "Nathan?"


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews. It means a lot. :)  
I really couldn't stop typing so here's the next chapter.

- ThaAnya

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**Disclaimer** : I own nothing affiliated to One Tree Hill or any of its characters. The song used in the chapter is not my own either. It is a really good song, though. Try hearing it if you haven't. It's called 'Over' by Daughtry.

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**CHAPTER 2**

_"I was blown away, what could I say?_

_It all seemed to make sense." - Daughtry_

_"Nathan?"_

Haley stood there with her eyes wide open. Not believing what she just saw, she closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. Nathan simply stood there, bemused, trying to control the smirk on seeing Haley so flustered.

Haley opened her eyes to check whether her awful nightmare ended or not. _No such luck. Still there. All I want to do is wipe that stupid smirk off his face and maybe kiss him senseless. Wait, hold up. Where did that come from? _Haley shook her head again, trying to get rid of any X-rated thoughts that were about to fill up her mind in a matter of few seconds. It's not like you could blame her though.

Standing in front of her was Nathan Scott, the NBA superstar, the panty-dropping manwhore, the media-obsessed bad boy. With his Greek God looks, chiseled body frame and his basketball talent, Nathan Scott was simply the person every woman wanted to be with and the person every man wanted to be. And his smirk, the things that he received because of his smirk.

This man, with whom millions were obsessed, once had his mind and heart only for a certain girl named Haley James, and now when he repeatedly saw her shaking her head, he was once again reminded of her innocent little ways, her not-so-innocent activities with him, her cute habit of rambling, and most importantly, the way she always seemed to take care of him.

"Care to share your thoughts?" Nathan finally decided to break the silence.

Looking up at the tall and handsome man in front of her, Haley knew she had made a mistake. The deep blue eyes staring down at her, enthralled her and all she could do was to think about that night many years ago.

_"Nathan, you better come out or else –"A short brown-haired girl whispered harshly._

_Nathan had rather pleaded Haley to come to his home exactly at midnight. Haley, however, was not very ecstatic about the idea seeing that midnight would mean ghosts and ghosts were definitely not welcome in HaleyLand. Still, the idea of visiting her boyfriend after a weekof not seeing each other, overruled any fear. _

_So exactly a few minutes before midnight, she entered Nathan Scott's two bedroom apartment, only to find the house eerily dark and quiet. Not to mention, the person responsible for her venturing out at such an odd hour, was missing too._

_"Boo!" Suddenly, a voice whispered back. The intensity of the exclamation wasn't really that big, but the for Haley, who was already bundled up with the thoughts of weird creatures coming out from the shadows, the intensity of it was too much to handle. She did what any normal person would have done. She shrieked. _

_"Damn Hales. Stop screaming. You'll wake everybody in Tree Hill up." Nathan said as he blocked his ears with his hands._

_"Nathan, stop scaring me like that." Haley exclaimed as she turned back and wrapped her arms around Nathan's waist, tightly. _

_Nathan led out a chuckle and embraced the cute girl in his arms. "I'm sorry Hales. Next time I'll remember to check for the monsters in the cupboards and those under the bed. I'll even let Mr. Waffles accompany me to fight them off." _

_"Oh, stop it." Haley playfully slapped his chest._

_"Anyway, I need to show you something."_

_"Okay." Haley slowly stepped out of his embrace. _

_Nathan reached out the wall in front him and flicked on the light switch. The sight that shone out from the darkness left Haley speechless. _

_The walls of the living room were lit up by the small yellow-ish light bulbs hanging from the sides. Pictures of Haley and Nathan from the time they were born to their recent weekend escapade in Nathan's beach house were positioned to form a beautiful collage. Haley stood in awe as Nathan shifted slightly to study her reaction. _

_"Look I know that I was distant for the past couple of days but the entire idea of not seeing you after a few months when we graduate from high school was quite daunting. I should have talked it out with you. But everything was happening so fast, I just couldn't do anything other than shutting you out. I am really sorry, Hales. I love you." _

_Nathan's sudden tirade led Haley to shift her gaze from the walls to his deep charming blue eyes, which were suddenly filled with a worried and disappointed look._

_Reaching for his hand, Haley stepped forward and tipped her head up. She, then, descended her strawberry-glossed lips on his sensual ones and wrapped him in a deep passionate kiss. Not wanting to let go, but knowing that she needed to say something; Haley lifted her lips and smiled softly._

_"I love it. The pictures, the thought behind it and most importantly, you. I love all of it. Thank you for letting me in, Nate. No matter what happens, I'll never go. I'll be there always."_

_Nathan's mood elated at her words, and without wasting another second he lifted her up in his arms and carried her towards the bedroom._

_Just before he opened the bedroom door, he said those two words that seemed to rightfully define them love as the epic Naley._

_Smiling back, Nathan Scott said, "And forever."_

Judging by the way her face lit up suddenly, Nathan realized what she was thinking about. The memory brought out a rare smile on his face, as well. And so they stood, recalling the memories of a better time, for a couple of moments.

It was Haley, this time, who broke the weirdly comfortable silence.

"So you are the _celebrity_ I'm supposed to work for?" she finally managed to say the million-dollar question out loud. She should have seen it coming. Nathan Scott was destined to become a nBA superstar sometime in his life.

"I guess." Nathan broke out of his trance and unfortunately entered into the façade of the egotistical media 'bad boy' that everyone, but a few, thought of him to be.

"Look, come inside with your shit load of luggage and drop them off in the room at the extreme right of the hallway." Nathan continued, "That will be your room for the next three months. And since most of us _superior_ beings do not wake up at five in the morning, I'm going off to sleep now. Till then you can –"Nathan glanced around him,"– yeah, you can definitely stay in your room."

Haley felt her heart constricting in pain as she wondered what was wrong with the man standing in front of him. He was nothing like the Nathan she once knew.

"Nathan, I –"she began to protest.

"That will be Mr. Scott for you. Only the people who are _close_ to me get to call me Nathan." He broke her off harshly.

Haley felt as though someone with a high adrenaline rush had just punched her repeatedly in the face. Unable to say anything more, she glanced downwards and nodded meekly. The tears were fighting to escape the rims of her eyes, and she could not let that happen here. At least not in front of the _man _standing in front of her.

Nathan immediately felt like smacking himself as he saw the effect of what he said. _This harshness was long overdue,_ he reasoned out. _But it is _Haley_, man. Your Haley, _another part of his brain screamed. _Nothing about Haley is mine anymore_, he finally thought.

Walking back towards his room, away from Haley's sight, Nathan finally let a tear slide down his carved cheeks.

Both of them simultaneously thought, _so this is how it's going to be from now._

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__**Please Review. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the reviews. They make my day. :)  
So here's another chapter. Hope you like it.

- ThaAnya.

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**Disclaimer : **I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill.

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**CHAPTER 3**

"Brooke." Haley croaked out on the phone. After suffering the beginning of a long humiliating experience she would be at the receiving end of, now onwards, Haley bolted to her room as soon as Nathan left the hallway. Closing the door, she sunk to the ground and pulled her knees closer to her chest. Tears soon followed the action. After a few minutes of crying, she got up and decided to vent out a bit. And that was when Brooke entered into the picture.

Brooke Davis was Haley's best friend. After the initial introduction by Lucas in a frat party, Brooke and Haley, who were poles apart in their personalities, somehow managed to form a stable friendship. They supported each other in crisis and joy. Being the queen bee in the high school social ladder, Brooke Davis was often left without any real friends. Girls flocked to her company to gain popularity whereas the guys flocked to her because of her clichéd cheerleader-slash-social butterfly _benefits_. With the addition of her absentee parents, Brooke had developed an insecurity issue from early on. Her only true friend, Peyton Sawyer, had moved to another state to major in business studies with a minor in music. Although they remained in touch over calls and e-mails, Brooke could no longer depend on the instant support she received from Peyton, owing it to the distance issue.

However, Brooke received her much deserved care and love from Lucas Roe, whom she met on the first day of college. Haley soon followed, being the second of Brooke's true friends, constantly backing each other up. Brooke launched her own clothing line, Clothes Over Bros, as soon as she left college. And today, Brooke Davis is one of the most sought after designers in the world.

"Haley, what's wrong?" Brooke's voice echoed from the other line.

"I cannot do this. I simply can't. It's too much. I need to leave," Haley sobbed.

"Okay Haley, calm down. Take a deep breath and tell me what made your cute little face scrunch up with tears?"

"Nathan, Brooke," Haley cried out, "he's here."

A long silence followed. Brooke was well aware which Nathan could elicit such a response from Haley. Their history had been a mystery from the very beginning and not even Brooke could fully gather the information regarding the two. But what she knew was that Nathan was a sore topic for Haley. She was always there for her whenever his topic was brought up, either by the media or Nathan Scott-obsessed strangers.

Right now, Brooke intended to do the same. Be there for Haley.

After breathing out deeply, Brooke asked, "Nathan? Nathan Scott? What is he doing here, Haley? And remind me where 'here' is again."

"'Here' is the house of the NBA player I am supposed to work in for the next three months. 'Here' is the house of Nathan Scott, who apparently requires me to be a maid," Haley said, softly.

"Oh."

"Yeah oh. He's changed, Brooke. When he opened the door, I thought I saw _my_ old Nathan there for a few minutes, but it's nothing like that. He's changed, for the _worse_." Haley emphasized on the last word.

"Honey, look you need to let go off whatever history you had with the guy. He shouldn't control your emotional future anymore. Since he's your boss, you've got to lay down some guidelines. Don't let him dominate you Haley. You deserve better." Brooke finally managed to shake herself from her stupor and return to her normal Brooke mode.

"But –"

"No buts, Haley. You need the money. You need to show everyone that you can stand on your own. Look I know it's going to be very difficult but it's nothing you can't control. Haley James, you are a strong amazing person with a cute little butt. So please smile and do not, I repeat not, let him control you anymore."

Haley smiled a little and decided to unpack her bags. She muttered a quick thank you and promised to call back soon.

Before getting up, she let one last tear fall from her eyes.

"But I still miss him, Brooke," she said quietly.

Sensing Haley shift from the other side of the door, Nathan quickly scrambled towards the kitchen, not wanting her to discover that he had been eavesdropping to her entire conversation.

Hearing her say that she still missed him stirred a newfound emotion within Nathan. He had always felt that she left him because he was not good enough for her. And till date, that was exactly what he continued feeling. Not a single day passed without him thinking about Haley and wishing that he could have been better for the girl of his heart. Granted there were days when all he felt was pure unadulterated anger towards Haley, and on those days, he mostly relied on alcohol or drunken one-night-stands to numb the pain. But the major portion of his brain always led him to believe that she left because of his own inability to live up to his own expectation of the boyfriend of Haley James. He has always forced himself to believe that Haley left because she wasn't in love with him anymore, that he wasn't too good for her anymore, that their promises didn't bear any truth in them anymore. Who knew that that reasons could be so wrong, unbeknownst to Nathan?

But now, hearing Haley declare how much she missed him was altogether something different. He was supposed to be the one pining over Haley, not the other way round.

Trying to force himself out of any Haley-related thoughts, Nathan opened the fridge and drank from a bottle of chilled water. He started thinking about how he could now manage this new _situation_ with Haley.

Haley opened the door and walked towards the kitchen. _Got to start somewhere, at least_, Haley thought.

She was surprised when she saw Nathan standing there beside the marble counter, mulling over something. He was dressed in a simple jeans and a grey hoodie. And he still looked hot as ever.

"Oh, I didn't think you would be here," she said.

Nathan turned his head sideways and was left breathless on seeing the sight before him. Haley managed to awe him even in the simplest of apparel which presently constituted of a pair of pink shorts and a white tank top.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" He arched his eyebrows upwards.

"Well, um, I thought 'superior beings' needed more time to sleep," Haley muttered , still hurt from his previous words.

"Hales –"

"Look I'm – I'm sorry, I –I shouldn't have assumed that after everything –"

"Hales –"

"you would still be the same and we could, you know, have the remaining bits of friend – friendship between us and maybe, I don't know, be civil towards each other and behave like mature adults. But clearly you seem to have other plans with everything in your life. I mean I'm sure you got what you wanted, right? NBA, fame, wealth, _ladies_. What else could you want? It's not like I was of any importance and now with you becoming one of the most egotistical jackass ever and, I mean it was completely absurd of me to think –" Haley rushed out, with each word gaining more force and intensity in terms of loudness. Her throat started to constrict and she could already feel herself losing her cool, not that she already hadn't lost a part of it.

Nathan's eyes were wide open, but he wasn't surprised. Truthfully speaking, he had been bracing himself for this moment. _Dude, you are the one who's supposed to get angry. Not Haley, man. She was the one who left, _he chastised himself.

Somewhere deep down he knew, though, that Haley was far from over.

"Haley."

"What!" She barked out.

Both of them were quite taken aback by her reaction.

"Sorry. Sorry. God, Nathan – I mean Mr. Scott – I shouldn't have said any of that. I promised this would be strictly a professional thing. I – I'm sorry."

"Hales," Nathan said, a bit loudly this time, "Would you please let me speak now? I can see that your habit of rambling hasn't gone yet."

Even after her sudden outburst, Haley smiled a bit on hearing this.

"Hales, I know that there are a lot of things to discuss right now. I know that. And for what I said before, I'm sorry. I never meant to be so rude. "

"It's–"

"Let me finish. I need to go off to practice now. So I'll catch up with you later. We'll talk about this when I return home at night."

He waited for an interjection. When he found none, he continued.

"Is that okay with you, Hales?"

"Yeah. Sure."

_Good_, Nathan thought. _We'll think about this later on. _Reaching for his car keys on the countertop Nathan headed for the door not bothering to take his duffel bag with him.

"Uh, Mr. Scott?"

"Yeah?" Nathan turned around.

"It's Haley James, or simply Haley. I don't like the name Hales anymore," Haley said quietly, looking down and tugging the rim of her top, never intending to wound the man in front of her.

Nathan tried to remain unfazed by her words and simply nodded. He turned the doorknob and swiftly rushed out.

"This is going to be three long months, Haley James. Three long months," she muttered to herself.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It was sometime around 10 in the night when Nathan finally reached home. Truthfully speaking, his practice wasn't really that long. But he wasn't really ready to face Haley without mentally jotting down a few ground rules. Opening the door, Nathan found Haley curled up on the couch, clutching the cushion tightly.

Smiling softly at the quaint figure lying peacefully, he reached down to her. His hand itched to touch the soft skin of her cheeks. As he stretched out his fingers in front of her, Haley shifted slightly. Taking that as his cue, Nathan retreated and cleared his throat a bit too loudly.

Haley's eyes jerked wide open.

"Hey," Nathan said.

"Hi. Uhm, sorry," Haley blushed as she replied.

"No problem. So I guess we should, you know –"

"Yeah, we should." By now Haley was wide awake and sat straight up on the couch.

Nathan took a seat on the opposite end of the couch and looked down, thinking that it would be easier if he didn't have to face Haley while speaking.

"So, Haley, since you obviously need this job and since Lucas and Clay don't trust me enough to manage my shit on my own, I think it's better if we keep this –", he coughed slightly before continuing, "thing, a strictly professional one."

Haley nodded, not surprised at this proposition. It was a given, considering their history. Glancing at him, she noticed his hear was spiked up, probably due to the sweat. _He still looks great, even if he's all sweaty and wet._ Haley's eyes shot wide open at that sudden confession she made unconsciously. _ No, Haley. No fantasizing about your new boss_. With that, Haley forced her brain to pay attention to the words coming out her new boss's lips instead of just his lips.

"Sorry, what?" Haley said as she realized Nathan had been speaking a great deal, oblivious to Haley's sudden lustful thoughts.

Nathan looked side wards to find Haley all flustered. Nathan smirked, knowing that such close proximity obviously had the same reaction for Haley as it has for Nathan.

"I was just saying that maybe you could do the dishes, laundry and the cleaning for the entire week and I could pay you at the end of the week, if that's what you want. I just thought that, uh, you must, you know, be really, uh, I meant it would obviously be better for you to get a weekly paycheck." Nathan struggled to get the words out.

Haley nodded. She knew Nathan must be wondering what made Haley James, the smart studious talented girl, suddenly turn up as somebody's maid. She was however grateful when he didn't mention this directly. Telling her best friends about her money woes was quite okay, but telling Nathan was totally a different thing. She knew it would open up a lot of unwanted discussions which, frankly, she had no intention of entertaining at the present moment.

"Yes, that would be fine."

"So, you'll start from tomorrow then?"

"Yes, of course. Will you be here?

"Tomorrow?"

She nodded in response.

"No, I need to get out early for practice. Coach K has been driving us mad since the past few days," he replied truthfully.

"Oh," Haley said, somewhat glad that she didn't have to face the humiliation with Nathan in front of her while she went about doing her work.

"I'll be returning late at night too, most likely. I'll try to bring some dinner with me."

"No, it's okay. I'll prepare something for _us_." Both of them blushed at the last word. It felt strangely good, hearing that after five years.

"Alright. So that's settled then," Nathan got up. He then said, "You can call me Nathan, though. I didn't mean what I said yesterday."

Haley smiled weakly, not really knowing what to say.

"Okay so, uh, good night, Haley."

"Good night, Mr. Scott."

_I knew she wouldn't listen to that_, Nathan thought, knowing that he shouldn't have let his temper get the better of him.

Both of them looked at each other and for a second there, old memories came flooding to them as Haley's brown orbs locked with Nathan's blue ones.

A smile of understanding passed between them as each slowly retreated towards their own bedroom, which were on the opposite ends of the hallway.

Tomorrow would be a new day. A new beginning, with, unfortunately, old emotions.

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**Please Review. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Hey,

I am so sorry for the late update. I was down with a severe cold and on top of that I had three tests these past 2 days. Needless to say, I was completely burdened. I know I shouldn't be making any excuses, but I just wanted you to know. Sorry again.

To those who have read, reviewed, followed and kept it as a favorite - thank you all so much. It really means a lot. The feedback boosts my spirits.

Here's the next chapter. Happy reading.

- ThaAnya

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**Disclaimer** : I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill. The song used in this chapter is by Rascal Flatts and is called 'What Hurts The Most'.

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**CHAPTER 4**

_"What hurts the most,_

_Was being so close,_

_And having so much to say, And watching you walk away,_

_And never knowing,_

_What could've been_

_And not seeing that loving you,_

_That's what I was trying to do."_ _- Rascal Flatts_

Nathan woke up to the sound of the loud incessant knock on his bedroom door.

Turning to the side, he checked the digital clock on his bed-table. In deep red block numbers it read,2:30. He muttered an inaudible curse.

Grunting loudly he went to open the door, dressed only in a low-waist basketball shorts.

He found Haley on the other side, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Needless to say, Nathan was quite shocked.

"What's wrong?"

"I – I can't s – sleep," Haley sobbed.

Nathan scrunched his face in confusion. Before he could say another word, Haley flung herself on him, clutching his body as hers shook with the incessant tears.

Wrapping one arm around her, he closed the door with the other. He guided the both of them to his bed where he sat down, pulling Haley with him.

Haley looked up at Nathan with her blood-shot pleading eyes urging Nathan to kiss her senseless and take away all the pain.

"Nat –"

"Shh. Don't say anything."

Haley sniffled and got up from the bed. Nathan was just about to ask her the reason for her doing so when she said, "Today is the fourth."

"Okay," he drawled, not really understanding.

"It's –it's the fourth, Nathan. We –"

Haley didn't need to go any further because Nathan realized what she was talking about. The date was far too etched in his mind to be forgotten easily.

_"Hales, what's wrong?" Nathan asked, closing his apartment door behind him._

_Seeing those blue eyes peering at her, Haley felt her heart shatter for the millionth time. But she needed to do this. For Nathan. For his dreams. For his happiness._

_She tore herself from his gaze and walked to the other side of the room._

_"I need to say something, Nathan." Haley spoke slowly._

_"Okay. What is it? You're not leaving me are you?" He joked._

_His smile, however, wavered when he saw the solemn look on Haley's face. _

_"Hales?"_

_"Nathan, we need to break up." Haley blurted out._

Oh no. No no no. Please no. Tell me I didn't just say that. Wait, no. I needed to say that. That's why I called him. This is right. But it feels so wrong._ Haley's brain started working on overdrive._

_Nathan felt as though his entire world crashed at that moment. His future. His happiness. His life. All of it simply ended at that moment. it was a dream. It _had_ to be._

_"Please say something," Haley's cheeks were stained with tears. Seeing the shocked look on his face, Haley wanted to take back her words and take away the pain she just caused him. But she couldn't._

_"What – what are you – you saying, Haley?" He fumbled to find the words._

_"Nathan –"_

_"Hales, please. There is nothing wrong with us. We are meant to be, Hales. We shouldn't –" Nathan was in the state of denial._

_"Nathan, it has to be done. We both have different dreams and –"_

_"That's a load of bull and you know it," Nathan suddenly bellowed._

_Haley stepped back, but she knew he would get defensive. Regaining her composure, she said, "Nathan, don't make it any difficult."_

_"Difficult? I'm making it difficult? Me? What about the crap you just fed me about fucking having different dreams and all?" Nathan's voice seemed to rise with each syllable._

_Haley couldn't stop the pang in her heart and she knew Nathan was experiencing a much deeper wound right now. And she was the cause of it._

_"I need to go," she mumbled, turning around._

_"Don't you dare leave this conversation hanging," he ordered, trying to make sense of the entire scenario._

_As soon as Haley turned back to face him again, she knew it was a mistake. There in front of her stood the man of her dreams, torn and shattered. What hurt the most was that she was the reason for it._

_With one final smile of goodbye, Haley rushed out of the building, not stopping till she reached the nearest corner, ignoring what was supposed to be their life. Hers and Nathan's._

_Pressing her back against the stony wall, Haley started crying hysterically, not bothering to care if there was some killer lurking in the shadows of the alley; because she knew, she was no less than a killer for murdering the only good thing that happened in both of their lives._

_Placing a hand over her stomach, she could feel every inch of the pain stabbing her._

_"I'm sorry. I needed to do th – this. I needed y – your _Daddy_ to be free from all trou – troubles. He deserves his dr – dreams. He deserves something better." _

Nathan didn't even realize that he was crying until he felt Haley wipe a tear from his face. Rehashing past memories didn't feel so good, not even after five years.

He never could understand the reason behind it all. He never could. And with Haley looking at him with those sad eyes didn't help solve matters.

He was torn between two options. First was to push Haley out of the room, or his home, or more importantly his life, that very instant. While the second option was to hug her and comfort the person standing, broken, in front of him. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to go through with the first option. Standing up, he engulfed Haley who could only sob and mutter stuff which he could neither make out nor bother to do so.

"Could I stay with you tonight?" Haley mumbled meekly.

Not saying anything, Nathan took her to his bed and gently placed her on it. He was about to sleep on the couch when Haley held his hand. Nodding silently, he climbed into the bed beside Haley.

For the first time in what felt like a century, Haley wrapped her arms around his torso and sobbed into the crook of his neck. Nathan simply tangled his fingers in her locks and closed his eyes, trying to prevent any tears from falling.

Both of them knew that tomorrow they needed to do some serious talking. But for now, they quietly lay in each other's presence, reliving the old memories and crying because of the anguish it brought them.

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**Please review. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Hi,

A quick note for the readers before they start reading this chapter.

The next 2-3 chapters will deal with the flashbacks and an insight into the lives of the characters of the story. I don't want to divulge too much information but I can say that in order for the story to progress, it is necessary to give a brief description of the main characters. So just a heads up in case you wondered.

Thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites. They truly boost up my energy to write. Please keep giving your feedback and do leave your opinions about this story.

Here's the next chapter, guys. Enjoy reading it.

-ThaAnya.

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**Disclaimer** : I still don't own anything affiliated with One Tree Hill.

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**CHAPTER 5**

Slowly getting up from the bed, Haley made her way out of Nathan's strong embrace. As much as she liked to lie there, contented, Haley knew she had major things to focus on today.

The action seemed to wake Nathan up. Squinting his eyes at the harsh sunlight, Nathan shifted slightly and raised himself on one elbow.

"Hi." Haley said quietly.

"Hey, 'morning." Haley could still hear the sleep in his voice.

Climbing back into the bed, Haley sat beside him, yet managing to keep a distance between the two of them.

"Nathan, we should talk."

Nathan nodded in understanding. It had to be done someday. Maybe a new day was exactly the boost they needed to start the conversation.

He sat fully upright now, rubbing his eyes.

"Alright Hales, where is this going? You leave me hanging for five years and now you come back? What's the deal, Hales?" Nathan's voice wasn't the slightest bit condescending, but that of a man who needed his answers.

Haley looked at him once more before closing her eyes, as she braced herself for what was going to happen in the next few minutes.

Nathan tried to gauge Haley's expression. He knew that what was going to happen in the next few minutes would affect both of them deeply; it would change everything between them.

Taking a deep breath, Haley said, "I was pregnant."

They say that there are certain moments which can redefine everything that you've ever believed in. That there are certain moments which shift the paradigm of your very existence. That there are certain moments that question your ability as someone you thought you knew.

These three words did exactly the above for Nathan Scott.

Staring at her in disbelief, Nathan felt a sense of déjà vu all over again.

Haley opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to face the wrath of the upcoming tempest which she had already unleashed with her words.

"What?" Nathan's voice was clouded with confusion, hurt and sorrow, all at once.

Haley knew he wanted answers, and she needed to give him that now. There was no question of going back.

Haley breathed in and said, "Let me start from the beginning."

_"Haley, are you okay? You've puked for, what, the thousandth time today."Jake Jagielski's concern-filled voice asked._

_"Yes." Unlike Jake, Haley's voice was softer and weaker._

_Jake shook his head at the woman crouching in front of the toilet seat of his house. Kneeling beside Haley, he gently grabbed her shoulders and helped her to get to her feet._

_"That's a load of bull."_

_Haley did not respond. She was too sick to do so._

_Jake seemed to understand his friend's trouble and decided not to press on her for the time being._

_Helping her to his bed, Jake laid Haley down smoothly. Rushing to the kitchen, he brought a waste-basket and a glass of water with him back to the bedroom. _

_He tucked her under the covers and went to close all the curtains of the room._

_Just as he was about to leave, Haley croaked out his name._

_He turned around to face her when he saw her motion for him to come._

_"Jake," Haley's sickness seeped through her voice, "there's something you need to know."_

_Jake grabbed her hand and rubbed it, signaling for her to continue._

_"You've got to promise me that you'll not utter a word of this to anybody. Not even Nathan."_

_Jake looked surprised. _She never hid anything from Nathan. What led her to do so now?

_"Okay," he drawled out._

_"I am pregnant. And before you freak out or anything," she continued hurriedly, looking at the shocked expression on her best friend's face, "it is Nathan's."_

_Jake sudden shock was soon replaced by a smile. Although she was young, hell she was only 17, Jake couldn't help but feel extremely delighted. He knew she would face some problems initially, but the happiness which he received by being with his one year old daughter, Jenny, himself, Jake believed that she would face the same with her child as well. _

_He was a single father, as no court in their right mind would give custody to Jenny's alcoholic drug addict mother, Nikki. _But Haley doesn't' have to go through the same thing, alone. She had Nathan with her, _Jake thought._

_However, his happy-land thoughts were smashed the next minute. A frown appeared on his face._

_"Wait! Does this mean – is this what – what you're not telling him?" Jake stuttered, as he remembered the promise he made to Haley._

_The sky of excitement and merriness was replaced by the clouds of despair. _

_Haley's eyes brimmed with tears as she nodded. A million questions ran through Jake's mind but he decided to comfort his best friend first. Engulfing Haley in his arms, Jake ran his hands along her back trying to soothe her sorrow. He didn't know the reason for her doing so, but he knew it wasn't an easy one._

_Haley clutched his shirt as the sobs rippled through her body. After a few minutes of simply sitting there in the comfort of Jake's arms, she slowly pulled back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand._

_"Jake, Nathan is in high school –"_

_"So are you."_

_"I know. That is exactly why I need him to be away from all this. Jake, he's a basketball superstar. I know he's going to be a great person someday. But that's not going to happen if he has to worry about us – the three of us – all the time. He needs to achieve his dreams."_

_"What about your dreams, Haley? Are you going to give them all up?"_

_"For now, yes. This baby is my only dream now, Jake. The dreams, the goals, the desires of this baby are going to be mine as well. You must be questioning the alacrity of my sudden decision. Let me tell you something, I love this baby growing inside of me. I love her – or him. The fact that Nathan's the dad just makes my heart soar. I can't ruin everyone's lives now. Not when we've just started living."_

_"That's exactly my point, Haley. How can you –"_

_"What about Jenny? Don't you love her?" She cut him short._

_Jake was silent for a few minutes. Jenny was his life. She was the very root of his existence now. _

_"Haley," he began softly, this time, "I wasn't alone. I had my parents with me. How do you expect to raise your child all by yourself?"_

_"There's another thing. I'm going to skip college for a year." Haley bit her lip._

_Jake was stunned._

_"Did I hear correctly?"_

_"Yeah. Look, Jake, please understand."_

_"No, Haley, you listen to me. You're having a baby, without telling anybody, not your parents and not even Nathan, who just happens to be the father, and now you're skipping college? You're going to do this all by yourself!"_

_It was more of a statement than a question. _

_"The fuck Haley! This is deplorable."Jake ran his hand over his face._

_Haley flinched. She had never seen him be so livid._

_"No."_

_"What?" _

_"I said no. You're not doing this to yourself. I'm going to call Nathan, or your parents, now. I'll ask them to come here. Someone needs to talk some sense into you."_

_Haley's eyes shot wide open. _This cannot happen.

_"No, Jake, you can't." A fresh set of tears escaped through her brown orbs._

_Jake got up and walked towards the door. Haley immediately shot up and stood in front of the door, blocking it. It was as though opening the door of the room would open the door to trouble and heartbreak. She had prepared herself for it but she couldn't bear to let Nathan or her parents face the same._

_Jake looked at the girl standing in front of him. A mere 17 year old teenager, whose entire life awaited her; a mere teenager whose entire life was going to be smashed, and he, Jake Jagielski, could do nothing to prevent it._

_Haley surprised him by hugging him tightly, as if trying to convey how much she needed her best friend now._

_Jake simply hugged back, feeling every inch of her pain. He knew her life was never going to be the same again. Correction. Not just hers, but his and Nathan's as well. _

_"What now?" he asked her, scared and worried about the entire situation._

_ "I'm going to tell my parents about shifting. I'm thinking of staying with Quinn. She already knows – about the pregnancy – she doesn't like it but she knows. I'll make up something about college. School's almost over. I mean, it will be in a month."_

_"And him?" he asked the million dollar question._

_Haley sobbed louder, unable to control her emotions. Jake held her silently, knowing very well what she was going to do._

_Her heart cracked into several pieces as she thought about Nathan, the baby and their future without each other. She wondered how she was going to manage the actual thing without devastating her entire self at the same time. That was one thought which she never wanted to experience, yet somehow, here she was, left with _no _choice._

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**Author's Note : **

**The next chapter will probably continue with the flashback, and maybe a part of the present day Naley interaction.**

**On another note, there's this One-Shot which I am currently working on. It isn't Naley related, it isn't even an OTH story. It's from the show 'Awkward.' and I would really appreciate if you could take some time out to read the OS. I'll put it up soon. If any of you are interested, it would be really great if you could go to my profile and read it. Thanks. :)**

**Let me know what you think of this chapter.** :)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N : I'm sorry for the long wait. Here's the next chapter, though. It's quite short but has an important revelation.**

**Oh, and this chapter is narrated by Haley. I thought it would be better to depict her feelings through this way.**

**A major Thank You for the reviews, follows and favourites. :)**

**Hope you'll enjoy this chapter.**

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill.**

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**CHAPTER 6**

_ For the millionth time that day, I wondered if what I was doing was the right thing or not. I breathed in the damp cold air and realized it didn't make me feel better. All that crap about taking a deep breath before plunging into danger seemed pointless and false. I was restless. Sleep didn't bother visiting me yesterday. Not that I expected it to, either. I don't deserve sleep. Or tranquility. Or freedom. I don't._

_I gripped the steering wheel hard – a part of me wishing to start the ignition and drive back into oblivion. Away from all confrontation. So what if that made me a coward? Not that I was being quite brave anyway. _

_I was pregnant. And as much as I would like to believe the contrary, life wasn't going to be rosy and us-against-the-world-ish for Nathan and I anymore. Not with the pregnancy._

_I didn't even bother wiping my tears. It was pointless. Looking at the window beside me, I could see the slight splatter of raindrops against it. A small droplet trickled down, forming a transparent and disappearing path on the glass. I lifted my finger and used my nail to trace that path on the other side of the glass. My fingernail stopped at the base of the glass. So did the droplet. It mixed in with the little narrow stream of rain droplets in the small groove at the bottom. It was gone. Its identity. Its life. Everything was forgotten, and just, gone. And soon another rain drop took its place. Everything mixed together. One replacing the other._

_I opened the car door and slammed it shut behind me. I walked swiftly towards the ground floor. I didn't care that my hair was getting soaked. I didn't care that I forgot to lock the car. I didn't care that I was going to make what might be the biggest mistake of life. It wasn't about me anymore. It was about the three of us now. _

_The three of us. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It could almost be like one of the sappy love stories I keep reading. Girl meets boy. They fall in love. And live happily ever after. _

_Bullshit. _

_I found myself staring at the series of steps before me. All leading up to the second floor – the highest in the building. He lived there. I was supposed to, too. At least that was what Lucas accidentally blurted out one afternoon over lunch. He said Nathan was planning on asking me to move in with him. It came as a surprise at that time. And frankly, I wasn't sure that I was ready for it. It seemed like a big step. A huge gigantic step. Towards a future we now would never have. According to my best friend's revelation, Nathan was planning on proposing the topic this weekend. He wouldn't need to now. _

_I walked up the steps slowly dreading the inevitable. At that moment, I began to fathom the complexity of slowly plunging into a world of despair. I never intended for it to be so. But, like I said – it wasn't for me anymore. It was for him and the unborn soul living inside me._

_I managed to walk up slowly, hoping that time would stop for a few hours. Maybe even days. Or months. As long as I'll need to escape this. But I understand that couldn't be the case._

_I wanted an _us_. I wanted a family. But not this soon. And definitely not by forcing both of us into a world of regret and what-ifs. I had always imagined a fairy tale wedding. I still do. That deep desire for a childhood fantasy to come true still resided in some nook of my heart, suppressed yet prevalent. _

_My feet finally found the doormat in front of Nathan's apartment. This was it. I still had the time to bolt from there. I couldn't though. _

_Before I could stop myself, I found my hand inching forward and repeatedly bang softly against the wooden door. I waited for a few seconds. It was for the better, Haley. I kept reminding myself. Funny how pretentious that sounded. _

_The door opened to reveal Nathan in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and a grey t-shirt. He was definitely hot. No denying that, for sure. _

_"Hi," I had managed to croak out. Nathan looked shocked at my disheveled appearance. He wiped his thumb across my cheeks, the concern evident on his face._

_I could feel him ushering me inside the apartment, as I heard the faint sound of a door closing behind me. He asked me what was wrong. Those piercing blue eyes almost forbade me to proceed further. Almost. _

_He joked about us breaking up. How could I tell him that it wasn't a joke? For the umpteenth time I wondered, it isn't fair. None of this is. _

_I couldn't stop myself as I blurted out the next few words. There was an awkward pause. A pause I never wanted to experience. _

_"Please say something," I remember begging him. _

_It was such a blur afterwards. The denial. The defensive remark. The frustration. And lastly, the hopelessness. And the loss. _

_I couldn't bear standing there in front of him, knowing the pain I just caused him, seeing the knife twisting and turning inside the wound in his heart. My heart wasn't any better. And then I bolted. Like a scared idiot. Like a coward afraid of facing her own confrontation. I could hear him calling out for me, but I prayed desperately that he wouldn't follow me. He didn't. _

_I found myself sobbing in the alley, drenching and not caring about the rain or the darkness. The darkness in the alley was brighter than that in my heart. _

_I clutched my stomach, comforting the only evidence of life inside me. It was more of a consolation for my own actions. _

_I broke down, the tears uncontrollable and the anguish unstoppable. I looked back at the apartment building. It was the last time I ever saw that again. _

_I am sitting beside another window now. This time, a much smaller one and instead of an apartment building, it showed me clouds and the blue sky. _

_"Mom."_

_I turn my head and see my four year old son smiling at me. _

_This was me now. My son and I. I wished for Nathan. But that was a decision taken a long time ago._

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	7. Chapter 7

**A/N : Thank you for the review and the follows. :)**

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**Disclaimer : I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill.**

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**CHAPTER 7**

Nathan looked at her in complete silence. His expressions varied over the entire course of Haley's narration. He was told about the first time she took the test; about the clashing waves of decisions she encountered; about the reasons she didn't tell him; about the fact that she had always wanted him to succeed; about her sudden disappearance from his life; about how she had always loved him. But the only thing in his mind was – why? A plain and simple why. Except that there wasn't anything plain or simple in the answer.

"Why?" He echoed his thoughts.

She looked up at him, the tear stained cheeks and quivering lips not betraying the pain in her eyes. _She still looked pretty_, he thought. He wondered if his unborn child shared Haley's features. Or _was_ the child more like Nathan?

Another question popped up. Suddenly, he didn't feel like knowing more. Maybe it was best if his knowledge remained stagnant, as it was the case currently. He didn't want to face the stream of burning pain he knew he would possibly encounter with his second question. No. He didn't want to do that.

But his tongue proved otherwise.

"Where is… is the baby?"

Dread flowed through him. He didn't want an answer. And yet, he did. He supported his forehead with the heel of his palm, his fingers tangling in his messy hair. He was on the bed with his legs resting achingly on the floor. She was in front of him, standing there with much difficulty. He looked at her belly, hoping for some sort of a clarification. None came.

Haley played with her fingers, tangling them with each other aimlessly. She wanted to escape. Like before. Like that day. But she couldn't. Not today. Not anymore.

"Haley, please." His voice was laden with desperation. Of some inexplicable hope. Of some desirous need for an answer.

"Nathan," she began softly. She looked at his face. It looked haggard, and _sad_. She maintained her distance, however. There was no way she could possibly ask for a small place beside him. She meant nothing to him anymore. She deserved nothing from him anymore. Just forgiveness – the sort which she was sure she wouldn't receive.

What _he_ did deserve was different. He deserved complete honesty.

"He's with my parents."

_He's alive. Haley didn't._ Nathan thought as soon as she spoke. He knew Haley wouldn't ever do that. He knew she was going to be there for the baby. That was just who she was. Haley James. She would sacrifice her own dreams to protect his and build his son's.

Son. He never heard a more pleasant word before. He had a son. Nathan Scott, the panty-dropping playboy, the media loving wildcat, had a son.

And the mother stood right there, in front of him. His true love. His only love. Yet somehow, amidst the sudden joy of knowing about his son, there loomed an air of sorrow. She betrayed him. She had lied to him.

And that, in his book, overwhelmed any other emotion.

He stood up slowly and walked towards the dresser. Picking up his car keys, he moved past Haley. It was robotic. Opening the door, shutting it, shuffling across the hall, opening the main door, shutting it, entering into the elevator, stepping out of it, walking towards his car, starting it, driving away. Everything seemed mechanical, and emotionless.

Back in his bedroom, against the door, Haley had curled up into a ball of tears and wails and grief. It was like the puddle of raindrops. Lost and faded into obscurity.

* * *

"Keep 'em coming," Nathan drowsily commented, pointing his glass at the bartender. The bartender looked wary, but was immediately forced back to pouring another drink as soon as he saw the glare thrown by Nathan.

Nathan had wandered around aimlessly after the conversation with Haley. His first visit was to a park. However, after seeing a man pushing his son playfully on the swing, the park didn't seem like such a good idea to Nathan. He reverted back to his only solace – liquor.

"At least liquor doesn't betray me," he muttered subconsciously before taking another sip of the drink.

The bar was just a few blocks from his building. And given the status of the basketball extraordinaire that he was, quite a few people had noticed him. He was sure the press was around somewhere. They always wanted some refreshing juicy gossip about him. And he never failed. Tabloids loved him. Precisely, they loved his antics – booze, meaningless flings, and brawls.

Drinking to his grief and hurt, he thought about his son. He wondered if his son knew that Nathan was his father. For the first time since her arrival, he wondered if Haley was married. Staring at the liquid in his glass, he wondered whether Haley's husband was a jerk like him. He scoffed at the thought. There couldn't possibly be anyone worse than him. _That was a given_, he thought.

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Taking that obnoxious device quite clumsily from his pocket, he glanced at the caller id. It was Lucas. Lucas Roe Scott, his _brother._

"What!," he barked into the phone, the evidence of alcohol quite clear to the person on the other line.

"Have you been drinking again?" Lucas's voice came through.

"What do you think genius?"

"Nate –"

"Fuck off, Luke. I don't want to hear your bullshit again."

"I'm coming to get you. Hang in there."

Nathan ended the call and slammed the phone back inside his pocket. _Saint Lucas to the rescue again,_ he thought. He didn't care if Lucas was coming or not. Frankly, he thought that the main reason behind all this shit was Lucas and his intrusive nose.

He had asked him to get a maid to clean up around his house. Not create a mess herself. He wondered if Lucas knew Haley well enough to purposely give her the idea of working in Nathan's home. The Haley he knew wasn't planning to be a maid. _Who the fuck cares anyway? It was her life now. She can happily live with her lies and decisions. He_ wasn't going to stop her.

Maybe Haley was really close to Lucas. Perhaps he was her husband now. Nah, that couldn't be the case. Lucas had Brooke.

He never really got a chance to explain his own relationship with Lucas to Haley. She was not present for it, after all. After the break up, she left in search for something better. Outside Tree Hill. He didn't hear from her after graduation.

Until.

"Nathan." The unmistakable sound penetrated his thoughts.

He turned around in his stool, facing her face. Hell, she looked beautiful. She always did.

"Go away," he said, turning back to face the bar.

Haley placed her hand on his arm and swiftly took the glass from the feeble grip of his hand.

"Come home. Please," she pleaded.

"No."

Sighing heavily, she placed his arm over her shoulder and slowly guided him out of his seat. Oddly enough, he complied without any sign of reluctance.

Lucas barged in from the crowd of people in the bar at that moment. Taking his other arm, he helped Nathan to walk forward.

"Look everybody. We're one big happy family," Nathan shouted, grinning widely. "A big happy family."

* * *

She closed the door and locked it. Lucas had dropped them home. He even assisted in carrying Nathan to his bed. The entire time neither of them spoke a word to each other, barring a few thank-yous and promises to inform if anything else happened to Nathan.

She sighed wearily. The past couple of days had brought nothing but sheer unrest in her mind. She finally came clean about the baby. Although, she had quite expected such a reaction from Nathan, she was still torn up about the pain she kept on causing him. She made a quick call to her parents once Lucas left. James had been fast asleep when she called and she promised her mom that she'll make sure to catch up with him tomorrow afternoon. She extensively missed spending time with her son. Just another two days and she'll visit him again. For only a day, but a visit nonetheless.

Before retreating back to her room, she walked to Nathan's and opened the door. Her steps seemed to be involuntary as she made her way beside him. Glancing at his sleeping figure, she smiled softly. He still slept with his mouth slightly open. She glided her fingers across his forehead, smoothening out the creases.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard his groggy voice.

"Why?" His half-asleep self muttered.

"Because I loved you," she choked out after a few seconds. He didn't provide any response, to which Haley was thankful. She closed the curtains before exiting his room.

When she reached her bed, she plopped down, exhausted. She ran her fingers through her brown locks. Crying softly, she felt her heart ache as she looked at the two photo frames placed on her bedside table. One had the photo of her son, smiling widely at the camera. The other was of Nathan and her, standing in front of the beach.

She picked up the second frame and clutched it against her chest. Lying down on her bed, she hugged the frame even tighter. The tears flowed straight from her brown orbs to the soft pillow beneath her head.

"And because I still love you."

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**Let me know if there is anything you would like to ask about the story. **

**Please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N : A massive Thank You to all of you who read, reviewed, favourited or followed. :) **

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**Disclaimer : I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill.**

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**CHAPTER 8**

The next morning went relatively normal for Haley. She tidied the house, cleaned the cupboards, washed the dishes and finished away with the laundry, all in a period of three hours. She even managed to prepare a small brunch of cereal – that was the only _eatable_ food she found – after her chores. She mentally decided to shop for groceries in the evening. The house desperately needed it.

Nathan had been asleep the entire time. She hadn't heard a single noise from his room, not even the slightest grunt._ He was really out of it_, she thought.

It was around one in the afternoon when she finally heard the door of his room squeak open. She put down the book she was reading and looked over her shoulder to find him standing against the doorframe. His hair was miserably unkempt and his face looked worn out even though he had been asleep for over fourteen hours. She stood up from the sofa and walked towards the kitchen. On the countertop lay two tablets and a glass of water, arranged beforehand. She picked them up quietly and handed them to Nathan who was still stuck in the same place.

"Thanks," he muttered. His voice was raspy from the sleep. He swallowed down the tablets and handed the empty glass back to Haley who kept it back in the sink. He followed her, albeit slowly, and sat himself with much difficulty on the seat in front of the long countertop. Her back was towards him as she rinsed the glass.

"I'm sorry for last night." His voice seemed abnormal to his own ears but he proceeded anyway. "I shouldn't have." He left the sentence hanging as he realized there was nothing he should be apologizing for. Well, apart for the alcohol thing – which he thought Haley should have pretty much expected, considering he was him.

She sighed as she turned back, leaning against the metal rim of the sink.

Shaking her head, she said, "Don't be. I deserved that."

It was an awkward silence as both of them pondered over what could be their next topic of conversation. There wasn't any room for small talk, considering that the atmosphere wasn't exactly friendly at that moment.

"I cleaned up the, uh, house." Haley finally said, thinking that perhaps it might break the ice.

He glanced around, noticing the prominent change around him. Everything looked so much neater. It even smelled nice. Like lilacs.

"Wow! Is this what this place really looks like?" He laughed. She followed suit and blushed slightly when he complimented her on doing such a great job.

The silence loomed in the place again. And this time, Nathan attempted to break it.

"I want to see him."

_Woah! That sure came out of the blue. That wasn't what I was thinking. Shit, I haven't even thought about this carefully. Stupid hangover. Yes,_ _definitely the hangover. I can blame it on that_. Nathan's mind rapidly screamed out. He could blame it on the hangover. _But not when she's looking at me like that._

Haley's eyes expressed no denial of the surprise on hearing his words. She hadn't been expecting that. She expected more backlash and fury. Not _this._

Seeing her eyes bulging out in the most Haley-like way, he could swear that he saw a flicker of joy and satisfaction light up in them. _Did she want him to meet their son, too?_

He expected her to ask him a million of questions. Or maybe even scream. Or maybe even give him a downright 'no'. Whatever the scenario, it definitely wasn't anything like the one which happened afterwards.

"Really?" She seemed so soft and fragile while saying that word, as though she was definite that any answer other than the affirmative would shatter her carefully built world.

"Yes."

It was plain and pure. Yet, it gave Haley a smile so wide and true that would make any outsider wonder what diamond had she stumble upon. The smile was infectious and Nathan caught himself in a similar state of contentment.

It was moments like this that made Nathan feel the void in his soul. She stood there, a few feet away, and yet, she seemed so far away. He longed for her to fill in the emptiness, even now, even after everything. But, he knew that it wouldn't be as easy as pulling her into his arms and capturing her in his embrace for a lifetime. But for the first time in years, he felt as though he was inching towards something; as though he was inching towards them again.

* * *

"Can I come in?" Haley poked her head from behind the door, startling Nathan quite a bit. He just got off the phone with Coach K apologizing for missing practice yesterday. He had to make up for the lost time today evening.

"Yeah sure," he said, bending down to adjust his shoes.

"Uh, I was thinking about what you said. If it isn't a hassle, I think this weekend would be a great time to visit him."

"But that's two days away," he said, standing right back up.

"I know," she evasively said.

Nathan looked at her for a minute, thinking about what he was going to say next. He had to choose either of the two – basketball practice with a very pissed off Coach K or a possible discussion with Haley about their son.

The choice was obvious.

"Are you doing anything today?" He suddenly said, hoping that Haley didn't have plans. She was his maid and was, technically, supposed to be working in today, but, he couldn't be too sure.

Haley nervously played with the creases of her dress. "Other than grocery shopping, no. Not really."

"Great. Let's order some pizza. Still love the honey garlic chicken with sesame seeds?" He was already walking towards the living room with a confused Haley following close behind.

"Yes, but –"

"But?" He turned back, eyebrows arched upwards. "You want something else?"

"No –"

"Great then. Let's order."

Haley was practically running behind him even though he was merely walking. She figured her short petite body was no match for his athletic built. Weirdly though, she had always seemed like a perfect match to his body during their love making sessions. Pushing away the thoughts as quickly as they arrived, she blushed a little. _It wasn't the right time now_, she thought.

Nathan was already dialing the number when she swiftly stood in front of him, placing her hand on his stomach as if somehow attempting to stop him from proceeding any further.

He stared at her, smirking at the sight. She looked so cute with her cheeks flaming and her palm stretched forward, like a short furious police officer.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't you have practice?" She asked, stepping a few feet back.

"I had. Cancelled them."

"And your coach? Your team?"

"Eh, I'm Nathan Scott," he replied playfully, winking at her. The smirk adorned his face one more time.

Despite herself, she laughed. "I see you're still cocky."

"And I see you're still incredibly short."

She gasped, smacking his stomach. She angrily crossed her arms and frowned at the inability to counter with something witty.

He chuckled, before slowly placing the phone on the sofa. "Okay, tell me."

"It isn't fair! One minute you're getting drunk and frustrated; the next you're ordering pizza acting as if nothing happened."

He understood the reason behind her anger. Inching a step forward, he looked at her with those deep blue eyes. "Haley, I want to know about him. I still don't understand as to why you chose to deal with this all by yourself, but I really want to get to know him. I don't even know the name of our son." He threw his hands upwards at the last statement.

Our son – these two words piqued her attention as her large brown orbs looked at him with a new sign of adoration.

"What?" He asked, unable to understand why she was staring at him like that all of a sudden.

"Our son," she begun slowly, "you said 'our son'."

He smiled back. He hadn't said it aloud before. Not even when they were together. And taking into consideration that the news was still fresh – it was just yesterday that he came to know about it – it felt oddly nice to say it out loud.

"Yeah." He nodded, smiling. "Haley, I have a right to him, you know. I just want to learn more. And I figured that it's best if we do it in a civilized manner instead of us cursing and screaming at each other. "

He had a point.

"You think we could do that?" He asked when he didn't see any sign of hesitance from her.

"Okay," she finally agreed. "Okay, get that pizza. I'll be back."

He smiled at her retreating figure. He honestly couldn't wait to know more about the little guy. He ordered the pizza, faintly hearing the sound of a drawer opening and closing in Haley's room.

The pizza arrived fifteen minutes later. After paying the delivery man, he went back to the living room and sat down on the carpet on which several photo albums lay. Haley had a constant smile on her face as she sifted through the photos of Jamie.

"His name is James," she said once Nathan sat on the carpet beside her, placing the pizza box in front of them.

"James? After your father?"

"Sort of, yes. He was never annoyed when he came to know about the pregnancy. Mom was, but he accepted Jamie with a large grin on his face. Jamie's now the apple of his eye." She chuckled, before continuing, "My parents, they got to know during their surprise visit to Quinn's place. Arguments followed, mainly initiated by my mom, and after much negotiating, they decided to take in Jamie after he was born. They said that I should go to college without worrying much about him; lead a normal life and all. "

Nathan nodded slightly. "Do they take good care of him?"

"Yes, a lot. I mean, I thought my mom would hate me for doing _this_. But she wasn't. I knew I had to provide for him on my own, but I can never forget my parents' help in all this. They started living close to my college, so that it was easier for me to visit him."

"Does it bother you? I mean, you've always wanted to be independent," he asked, knowing well how much she craved for her independence from her over-protective parents when they were in high school.

"It still does. Does it make me a pathetic person?" she asked him with a tone of sadness. He could see the tears glistening in her eyes, as she stared at one picture of Jamie and his grandparents.

"Not at all," he said, quietly. Haley seemed to accept the answer. She knew he was being sincere.

Nathan smiled before asking, "I know this may sound weird, but his name is James James? That would be kind of, uh, odd." He attempted to shift the mood of the room a little.

She merely laughed at how funny the name sounded. "No. In fact that was a part of the reason I called him James Scott." The words left her mouth before she could help it.

To say that Nathan was thoroughly surprised would be an understatement.

"You named him Scott?" he asked, disbelievingly. He thought that Haley had wanted nothing to do with Nathan when it came to their son.

"Yeah, funny right?" she nervously laughed.

"Haley why –"

"Nathan, please. I really want to do this nicely. You can't believe how glad I am that you actually want to know him. Just please." She looked forlorn as she begged him.

He knew the issues still remained, but he chose to focus on the more necessary – and comparatively, happier – subject in hand. Nodding slightly, he motioned for her to continue.

The next few hours went by as she guided him through the photos, talking to him about the birthdays and Jamie's favourites and his bunny, Chester. She told him that Jamie now lived with her parents back in Tree Hill and though he seemed to understand why his Mom had to leave him for some time, she knew he missed her dearly. And so did she. She told him about the call she made to him that afternoon. She told him about his love for playing with the mini keyboard she got him on his last birthday.

She tried to focus on the good stuff, the happy stuff, without making Nathan feel guilty. However, she did know that he felt a pang of remorse seeping through him every time he saw a photo of Jamie. Holding his hand quietly, she offered him some kind of a comfort, hoping he would understand.

He was completely enthralled by the pictures and the stories. Occasionally, he felt himself staring at her excited face, and he smiled, knowing that even with her own share of faults, she had managed to raise his son beautifully. Their son.

The time faded away as they sat there talking about the one person who, in some inexplicable way, managed to glue their separated selves for the time being.

* * *

**A/N : So, the last two chapters revealed that Haley didn't lose the baby. That must have been quite a surprise for a lot of you. I suppose there might be quite a few questions regarding Jamie, but I hope they will be answered in the later chapters. **

**Please review.**


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